Book: Love Wins by Rob Bell

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Has anyone read it? He's a pastor here in local Grand Rapids area.

If you did read it, what did you think?

Grand Rapids is a natural place for someone identifying as Frieslander.

Never heard of him or the book, though.

synopsis?

Yes, I live in Grand Rapids area and am of all-Dutch decent. Curious how you know this.

I haven't read it yet, but from what I've heard... oh boy I ought to read it first so that I can give a synopis. I've heard some things about it, but can't remember right now.

Not a problem - I'll keep an eye on it.

As for how I know, my sister lived in Grand Rapids for a time, I know that part of Michigan have shopped at Kregel's book storre, have friends and relatives from thereabouts, and Holland Michigan is not called that for nothing. Honeymooned there at tulip time.

My Netherlandic ancestors were from the New York settlements, but SW Michigan is well populated with Holanders.

Heh, I'd bet most people on here haven't heard of it. I haven't read it, but I have read a few reviews about it and so on. Love Wins is Rob Bell's exploration of the issues of hell and universalism.

That's what I thought. I didn't want to to screw up and say the wrong thing, but I thought he basically said there is no hell.

I have encountered a good deal of criticism of it. Though the fairest and best response I came across was here:

http://www.wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF- ... Empty.aspx

I have read the book. I liked it quite a bit. He offers what I believe to be the most compelling (read: correct) interpretation of Christianity. However, though the message is essentially the same, I much prefer Hope Beyond Hell. It's a bit more thorough and scholarly, with a ton of scriptural references. I've recommended it here a few times.

It is available as a free ebook download in both an abridged and full book.

http://www.hopebeyondhell.net

It is not about universalism. It is about universal salvation.

Not a terrible review or anything. But it is a little simplistic to say that doctrines of universal salvation had their origin with Origen (sorry, couldn't help myself). In a much more scathing criticism of the book, Kevin Deyoung points out that some of the ideas predated Origen:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/14/rob-bell-love-wins-review/



...which would mean that the ideas were present before the ink was dry on the gospels.

Of course, Deyoung uses this as part of an attack on Bell, saying that Bell was being dishonest in saying that questions of universal salvation were "central" to Christianity from the beginning. I think this just illustrates that Deyoung has very few straws to grasp at. The bulk of his criticism is "universal salvation is heterodox", which roughly translates to "universal salvation is something other than what we teach". Strange, huh?

........ universal salvation = universalism. You are being ridiculous.

Wrong. Learn the difference. This is why we don't get along. You don't understand things.

Some have criticized him for that. Haven't read the book, but from what I understood, he mostly just asked questions and suggested that all men may be saved. You, if you've read the book, might be more expert than I am, but I doubt he denied the existence of any hell, but possibly just suggested that all creatures may be saved out of hell.(The latter being a more conservative universalist position)

Here's a Wikipedia page, to help you along:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_reconciliation

No, I am not wrong.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/universalism

Universalism = the doctrine that all human beings will eventually be saved.

That's also the definition of universal salvation, as salvation is the state of being saved, so universal salvation is the idea that all human beings will be saved.

You're wrong. Wikipedia also says that you are wrong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_reconciliation "In theology, universal salvation , also called universal reconciliation (in context, simply universalism)"

The reason why we don't get along is because you continually say stupid things, and you fail to recognize that these stupid things are actually incredibly stupid. Maybe this is just a massive Dunning-Kruger effect, but it's annoying and ridiculous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2 ... ger_effect

I already found it. It supports my claim, as it explicitly states that Universalism is another name for the doctrine of universal salvation.

Do you not know how to read, or do you not know how to think?